Beliefs

What We Believe at St. Paul

About:
God:  
We believe in one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible.  And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity --the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Jesus: 
Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day. Jesus, truly God and truly man, in whom the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united.  He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is eternal Savior and Mediator, who intercedes for us, and by him all men will be judged.

Holy Spirit:
proceeding from the father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory wit the Father adn the Son, very and eternal God.

The Holy Bible:
We believe the Holy Bible, 66 books of Old and New Testaments, that reveal the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation.  It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule of guide for faith and practice.  Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.

The Church:
We believe the Christian Church is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. WE believe it is one, holy, apostolic and catholic [universal]. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by men divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's own appointment.  under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

The Sacraments: 
We believe in two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion.  Baptism is a sign of regeneration of the new birth.  The Baptism of young children [infants] is to be retained in the Church.  Holy Communion is administered by clergy. Open to all who come with a willing and repentant heart, regardless of church or denomination.



St. Paul is one church in connection with the Global United Methodist Church.  We are located in the Mississippi River District in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference presided over by Bishop
Frank Beard.

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(All information from the (About:) section is taken from Paragraph 103. Section 3- "Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules"in The Book of Discipline, 2008.

-St. Paul